DOE APPOINTS NEW MEMBERS TO
OAK RIDGE SITE SPECIFIC ADVISORY BOARD
 

Pictured are new ORSSAB members and student representatives (from left) Linda Murawski, Barbara Kosny, Atur Sheth and Christopher Smith.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the appointment of two East Tennessee residents and two area high school students to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board.

 The new members were appointed to fill vacancies on the board.  The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board (ORSSAB) is a federally chartered citizen’s panel that provides recommendations to DOE’s Oak Ridge Environmental Management (EM) Program.

“We’re very pleased to welcome these new members and students,” said Steve McCracken, DOE Oak Ridge Assistant Manager for EM.  “The SSAB plays an important role in providing public input on EM program activities at the Oak Ridge Reservation, and we appreciate the fact that they’re willing to volunteer to serve on the board.”

New member Linda Murawski lives in Knoxville, where she owns and operates a small business providing consulting services in emergency preparedness, emergency management, crisis communication, and hazards mitigation.  She is Vice President of the Technical Society of Knoxville, Vice President of the Tennessee Literacy Coalition, and a member of the Roane County Damage Assessment Team.

Christopher Smith is a self-employed computer consultant specializing in database and global information system consulting. He is a former foreign service officer and holds an A.B. degree in political science and a Master of Science degree in biosystems engineering technology. Smith lives in Decatur and serves on the Meigs County E-911 board.

Barbara Kosny and Atur Sheth are the new ORSSAB student representatives.  Each year, two high school students are seated on the board to represent the views and interests of area youth.  One student is selected from Oak Ridge High School, and the other is chosen on a rotating basis from schools in surrounding areas.

Kosny is a senior at Oak Ridge High School, where she is the co-founder and president of the Environmental Club.  She has participated in Envirothon, a national environmental science competition, and she is a member of the Technology Student Association.

Sheth is a senior at Farragut High School, where he ranked second in his junior class with a grade point average of 4.14.  He is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the Science Honors Society, and he was selected to attend the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Sciences this summer.

ORSSAB meetings are usually held on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the DOE Information Center in Oak Ridge. Meetings of the board and its committees are open to the public, and notices are posted on the board’s Web site (http://www.oakridge.doe.gov/em/ssab) and through the ORSSAB 24-hour information line, (865) 576-4750.

-DOE-

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